I have a huge Terra Cotta bowl with hostas in it. The Hostas come back, but the bowl is losing more and more soil!
How should I go about replenishing the soil? I cant see the hostas now.

Thanks
Sylvia

I should explain better. Should I wait until the hostas show up to add more soil or can I put soil on the top?

I'm still confused, but first, why aren't the plants showing?

I wish I could help, and hope someone else can. I've always thought of you as sort of a hosta Guru since you have so many beauties and sell them...

...gurus are entitled to 2 bad Oops-ies a year...

Sylvia, can you show us a photo?
I think I know what you are saying? Is the soil level just lowering in the container? But I don't understand why you wouldn't see the hostas right now, it isn't dormant season yet?

Is the pot under something that's causing rain to erode the soil away from the top? Is there organic matter in there that's decomposing/settling, trickling out the drain holes in the form of silt/sand? I'm confused about the Hostas too. How long has the same soil been in the pot?

It sounds like a settling problem to me too. If it was me I would wait for the next season and add soil before the eyes appear.

This time of year, when I think of a plant not showing, I think that it's probably missing entirely. Maybe a critter pulled it out (with some of its soil) and carried it off??

The soil may have settled, and/or may have been dribbled out the bottom by woodlice ( demons for it) or ants. It does suggest that there is less air in the bowl.

You can just fill up the bowl to about half an inch below the rim if the Hostas are not showing, since it makes no nevermind to them if they are dormant or underground. Putting an extra inch on them will help if it is compost you put in.

However since they should be in full leaf still, maybe they have died or been taken by slugs or critters.

At this time of year, unless you have had conditions that have caused early die back, or a variety that goes dormant early, you should still be able to see them, I would have thought. Much depends on the watering regime and location of the pot though, so I guess just top it up and good luck.

I dont need to worry about adding soil now guys, one of the cats dumped the bowl. I had three hostas in there and a Coleus that was doing wonderful. I re-potted the Coleus and bought it inside. .. hope it makes it until the spring.

Oh Sylvia, I am so sorry. Did you replant the hostas outdoors?

So sorry!

The cat answered the questions though, they are often padding around doing things like that, the little scallywags. My survivor, Oliver, is scratching around in my strawberry beds, which only means one thing. I guess it is time to put down tar string or pepper or something to discourage him. Why he takes these sudden notions I do not know.

Oh well the coleus didn't make it. I sure hate that, it was different from any Coleus that I've seen before. Almost look like a vine but it stood straight up. ... and yes the darn cats knocked the big bowl over. I don't even remember what they were. I caught a feral using my Catalpa tree as a scratching poll, planted it about three or four years ago. Its never going to get big! Lynn it was in October when the cats knocked the bowl on to the ground, so I could not find the hostas. I picked up all the soil and put it into pot, but they never showed again. if i bought Coleus seeds I wonder if I could grow them? I love them in the pots with the Hostas, In Florida that's all I grew was Coleus & Caladiums bought them to Texas , that was the end of that collection. Sure miss that Freida Hemple!

Good morning Sylvia.

Good time to try something new and exciting. I have never done coleus from seed, but shouldn't be difficult.
What is Freida Hemple?

Lynn, Frieda Hempel was a German opera singer. I always assumed Hemple was a Yiddish name from some lady in Miami Beach I would love to know the real hybridize r
that named the plant. The plant denotes Christmas because of its very bright red and green color. Its really a bulb, that would need to be lifted here in Texas, in Florida, it stay in the pot. There are lots of Caladiums that called a Freida Hemple, that are not. This is the real FH

Oh my goodness, Sylvia that is stunning. No wonder you are missing it.
I keep going back to look at your photo.

It is stunning isn't it? This a picture I got off the web, all my plants were in pots at that time.
Thanks